


Kara and Lucy: Ficlet Collection

by beaglesinbowties (Girlblunder)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-11 15:46:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7058848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Girlblunder/pseuds/beaglesinbowties
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of tumblr ficlets starring Kara/Lucy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Only You (No, I mean YOU)

**Author's Note:**

> Revengedoctor asked:  
> Kara x Lucy Prompt: James and Lucy thinks Kara is jealous of their relationship because she has a thing for James. Turns out Kara is Gay as hell for Lucy.

Lucy smiles at James as he takes the seat next to her. They’re early for their meet up with Kara and Winn, but neither minds.

“I hope this goes better than last time,” James says.

“Yeah. Poor Kara, she was so embarrassed - I didn’t know it was _possible_ to get so red.” Lucy shakes her head absently.

It’s odd knowing that one of her friends has a crush on James, especially now that they’ve officially split. They haven’t told anyone yet, but it’s been a few weeks now. It hadn’t taken long for them to realize they were trying to recapture something that was long gone.

Lucy’s grateful she and James are still friends, but she can’t explain how she feels when she sees Kara all befuddled around him. 

Jealousy. She’s not afraid to name it, she just doesn’t understand why she’s feeling it _now_. It had been _Lucy_ that had been first to voice the concern that maybe it was best if she and James were just friends again.

James is wearing his favorite shirt, and Lucy knows that it’s no coincidence. They’re planning to tell Kara and Winn tonight, and Lucy can’t help but feel a little…off about the entire thing.

Of course James would have feelings for Kara who, in addition to being incredibly sweet and adorable, is also intelligent, patient, and beautiful.

James grins when he catches sight of Kara and Winn.

Lucy does her best not to glare. It’s fine that she’s jealous, she’d just really rather not telegraph it. She should be cheering James on, really.

Kara is already flushed when she gets to the table, and she only has eyes for James.

Lucy gulps down the last of her white wine and signals the waiter for a refill. She’ll need a little more fortification if she’s going to sit through this tonight, especially if they start kissing.

“Are we late?” Kara asks in a slightly breathy voice. “Sorry if we are, I wanted to stop by Alex’s place first for a pep ta–er, I needed to talk to her about something.”

Winn awkwardly fiddles with his tie, his eyes carefully focused downward.

“Oh, is everything alright?” Lucy is grateful to have something to talk about that has nothing to do with her previous thoughts.

Kara’s eyes widen and dart to Lucy before Kara turns pointedly away. “No, I mean yes - that is, um–”

“It’s just work stuff, you know,” Winn blurts out. He forces a smile and blinks rapidly, a hand rising to rub at the back of his neck. “Cat stuff is…I’m just going to look at the menu now.”

Lucy frowns and looks slowly between Winn and Kara. “Well, if you need any help with anything…”

“You can always ask me or Lucy,” James cuts in with a grin.

It hurts Lucy not to roll her eyes. Could James be any more obvious?

“Thanks, I really appreciate that.”

Kara smiles and Lucy has to withhold a sigh. Kara looks so damn _happy_. Lucy looks around. Where’s the waiter with her wine? Maybe she should just order a bottle. 

She wishes Alex were here. It wouldn’t be weird for Alex to roll her eyes at the two googly-eyed idiots. Lucy makes a mental note to get Alex’s number before the next group outing.

The waiter arrives with their wine, and then everyone starts ordering their meals. Lucy quickly picks something when she remembers they came here to eat. Well, _she_  came here to eat. James came here to get a new girlfriend. He’ll probably make Kara’s night.

“Can you pass the salt, please?” Winn asks.

Lucy has to blink twice before she realizes he’s speaking to her. “Salt. Right,” she mutters as she nudges the salt shaker toward him. He smiles but she only shrugs.

She’s well and truly relaxed by the time they finish their meals. Her food was good, and she had eaten more than she thought she’d manage. It helped that she hadn’t looked up at anyone as she’d meticulously cut into her steak.

“So, uh, Kara? Lucy and I actually asked you here tonight to tell you something.” James smiles cautiously.

“Oh, really?” Kara asks as she hurriedly wipes at her mouth. There’s ketchup stuck to the side of her cheek and it really pisses Lucy off that she looks so _damn adorable_.

“I’m going to the bathroom.” At James’s upset look, Lucy sighs. “You can tell her without me.”

It isn’t really a lie; she’s had a lot of wine tonight. So what if the timing had been surprisingly fortunate?

She takes her time in the stall, staring upward and pondering whether or not she should pick up another bottle of wine after she leaves. She hums as she finishes up and wipes, quickly walking out and washing her hands.

As she’s patting her hands dry and wondering if her frown will be permanent, the bathroom door opens.

“Kara,” she says halfheartedly as she tries to smile, “fancy meeting you here.”

“Oh, _Lucy_.” Kara sounds so damn _sorry_.

Lucy’s stomach churns, and she’s glad she didn’t drink on an empty stomach. She turns away and throws her used paper towels into the bin. “It’s fine, I’m the one that broke up with him. It’s been weeks now.”

She swallows once and straightens her shoulders, turning to face Kara with a raised chin. “You have my blessing.”

Kara, who’s taken a few steps forward, suddenly stops. “Y-your blessing for what?”

A muscle twitches above Lucy’s eye. “You know,” she waves a hand, “feel free to ask him out.”

“A-ask him…what?” Kara’s eyes are wide and she seems genuinely surprised.

“Oh, come on, Kara. We all know you have a crush on James.” Did Lucy sound bitter? She shouldn’t sound bitter. _Oops_.

Kara’s head is shaking, and she takes another step closer. She’s tugging at the bottom of her shirt with both hands. “But I don’t have a crush on him, you’re the one I think is crazy beautiful and I - crap.” 

The last word is so high pitched that Lucy almost doesn’t understand it. Almost. It takes a few seconds for the words to sink into Lucy’s wine-addled thoughts. “Wait, me?”

And Kara’s blushing again, unable to look Lucy in the eye. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to, I always kind of lose it when I’m around you and - God, why am I so not good at this?”

When Kara finally manages to look up at Lucy, something clicks into place in Lucy’s mind. She doesn’t hesitate to step forward, and Kara only has a moment’s warning before Lucy’s face is so close that any movement will bring their lips pressed together.

“I like you too,” Lucy whispers before her eyes slide shut and Kara closes the final scant millimeter between them.

Kara’s lips are so soft that Lucy forgets where they are, intoxicated by far more than wine. Her breathing is elevated by the time the kiss ends. Her fingertips are tingling and it feels like she could float away at any moment. She takes a breath and focuses on Kara’s still-moist lips.

“So I had been thinking about picking up a bottle of wine after this, but I’m thinking now maybe…coffee instead?” Lucy’s heart thuds loudly in her chest.

“I’d like that,” Kara says. When she smiles, Lucy can’t help but notice just how beautiful she is.


	2. Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This theme was requested by three different people, with this particular iteration requested by Joyfultemplar. I promised fluff, and boy is it fluff. My teeth hurt after writing this.

Kara grits her teeth as she types. Thanks to a series of incredibly bad spats of luck, some of which are directly thanks to Ms. Grant, Kara has missed her favorite part of the morning.

It’s hard not to let tears of frustration come to her eyes, but she manages. It’s really not fair. As it is, the time difference beween National City and Lucy’s current post in Afghanistan is _dreadful_.

Lucy had looked so tired the last time they’d spoken. Kara’s been so worried for her. Sure, Lucy’s tough - but Kara knows Lucy’s running herself ragged trying to do her job. Missing a Skype call isn’t new, but Kara feels frustrated about it all the same.

Things will be much better once Lucy can come home again. Kara’s going to stuff her with all her favorite foods and then force her to sleep for at least ten hours. 

She finishes up her current email and checks it quickly before hitting ‘send’. If she’s careful, she can squeeze in her coffee break before Ms. Grant realizes she’s finished her current work.

As Kara finishes pouring her coffee, she does a double take. Someone’s approaching her desk and they really shouldn’t be. Ms. Grant doesn’t have any appointments right now, and Kara is in for it if someone manages to sneak past her for an unscheduled visit.

She ignores the coffee that splashes on her shirt in her haste to reach the diminutive figure that’s almost to her desk. “I’m sorry, but you can’t go in th–”

The figure turns, and then Kara’s left dumbfounded, staring down at the woman she’d just seen a few days ago dressed up in her ACUs.

Lucy’s dressed in civilian clothes now, jeans and a snug t-shirt and definitely is not covered in dust. She looks tired, but she’s smiling.

Kara drops her coffee and steps forward, not caring about the mess and instead knowing that she _needs_  to hold Lucy - now.

“You’re here,” she whispers after pulling Lucy into a full-body hug.

Lucy chuckles. “That’s right. They gave me the option of returning a month early, and I took it.”

Kara’s so happy that she knows she’s about to cry. She doesn’t care. Ms. Grant can fire her, nothing is more important than Lucy.

“Gah, I love you,” Kara says in a wobbly voice as she pulls back.

“Don’t cry, Kara,” Lucy replies as she reaches up to wipe at Kara’s moist cheek. “I’m here, and I love _you_.”

Lucy’s always been respectful not to engage into overt displays of affection around Kara’s work, but six months apart is six months too many.

Kara smiles into the kiss, crying freely now and dizzy with euphoria. She laughs when Lucy peppers her cheek with more kisses, deciding that this is easily going to become one of her favorite _Lucy_  memories.

Something bumps her leg, and Kara looks down.

Alex glares up at her. “Watch it, someone’s got to clean up your mess before someone gets hurt.”

“Alex?” Kara blinks once. Twice.

“She gave me a ride from the airport, Kara,” Lucy supplies helpfully.

Kara squeals with joy, leaning down to squeeze Alex into a quick hug.

“Ow! Watch it, will you? Go back to being sickeningly sweet with Lucy, I need to get back to work soon.” Despite the gruffness to Alex’s words, Kara can see the slightest of smiles curling her lips.

“Thanks.”

Alex gives her a wink before standing. “I don’t expect to see either of you for a week.” Just as quickly as she’s appeared, Alex is gone, taking the remnants of Kara’s broken mug and spilled coffee with her.

“She cried when she saw me,” Lucy says in a low voice.

Kara laughs and takes Lucy’s hand. “She’s missed her best friend.”

“To hear her tell it, she’s tired of you moping around.” Lucy smirks. They both know Alex is good at putting on a show, but she’s really a big softy.

“I have been moping. I think Alex was about to go crazy trying to ply me with ice cream and doughnuts to cheer me up.” Kara sighs, still unable to believe that Lucy is here.

“Kara, Ms. Grant saw you!” Winn whispers loudly from behind his desk. “She’s taking her glasses off, you better make a run for it.”

Kara hesitates. There’s more work to be done today, and she does enjoy her job - most of the time. She really doesn’t want to get fired.

“I’ll cover for you,” Winn insists with wide eyes.

Lucy grins at her and Kara is reminded that maybe she doesn’t mind losing the job after all. “Okay.”

She laughs as she tugs Lucy along by the hand.

Lucy smacks herself on the forehead once they’re in the elevator. “Alex was my ride and my phone’s dead so I can’t call a cab.”

Kara bounces in place and pushes the button for the top floor. “No worries, I got this.”

“Kara, Alex is going to kill you.” Lucy tries to sound serious, but she’s smiling.

“Good thing I’m very hard to kill. Come on, I’ve got plans for you,” Kara says as she leads Lucy out of the elevator and toward the stairs that will lead to the roof.

“Kara, I love you, but I was just on like a twenty hour flight. Jet lag doesn’t begin to describe it.”

Kara smiles to herself as she finishes changing, wrapping her clothes into a neat bundle and opening her arms wide for Lucy. “Relax. I’m going to feed you and then put you to sleep. Other things can come later.”

“I love you,” Lucy says as she steps forward and into Kara’s arms.

Taking off is easy after that with as happy as Kara feels. The sun’s on her face and Lucy is home. She loves her life. She loves _Lucy_.


	3. The Trials and Tribulations of Being Lucy Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy. Kara. A date. Sort of?

Lucy grumbles as she checks her phone. Her date is three minutes late already. That’s three extra minutes out of Lucy’s day wasted. It’s bad enough Lois had insisted that Lucy just _go on one date with Clark’s cousin_ after swearing _she’s so much better than the last one_.

After six of Lois’s failed attempts to find Lucy a partner, Lucy is seriously considering seeking employment in Antarctica. Surely there’s no one _there_ that her sister could possibly know to suggest for a blind date.

She sighs. Obviously she wouldn’t really move to Antarctica, especially since it’s been kind of nice talking to Lois again. Things have been different since Lucy had finally broken out from under their father’s influence - and Lucy has discovered she actually kind of likes Lois.

Still, the blind dates are getting old. Lucy is determined to not to cut Clark’s cousin any slack.

“I’m so sorry I’m late, there was this kid on a bike - wow that just sounds like a bad excuse -  and never mind I’m just,” the words stop suddenly as the flustered looking woman pauses and takes a deep breath. “Let me try this again. Hi, I’m Kara and I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Lucy’s resolve to be difficult wavers; Kara’s easy smile exudes the same level of comfort as Clark’s does. She stands to accept the handshake, surprised by the firm yet comfortable grip. “I’m Lucy.” She gestures to the empty seat across the table before sitting back down.

“I know,” Kara says as she sits down. Her nose crinkles when she looks down. “Lois told me a lot about you.”

The waiter comes to take their drink orders, and the moment he’s gone an awkward silence descends.

Kara’s cheeks slowly pinken and a silent alarm goes off in Lucy’s head.

“Kara, look I need to be hones–”

“Lucy, there’s something I have to sa–”

They both stop suddenly and share a quiet chuckle.

Lucy tilts her head. “Why don’t you go first?”

Kara’s blushing again, but she nods. She clears her throat and moistens her lips as she braces herself. “So, um, actually I kind of just got out of a messy relationship last month and I’m not really ready to date, but Lois was so set on us meeting and you know once she gets started…”

Lucy’s already nodding. “Oh, yes I know exactly what that’s like. Why do you think I decided to become a lawyer? She taught me the art of debate first hand.”

“I’m glad you said that. Normally I wouldn’t agree to something like this, but Clark’s been worried about me and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to go on _one_ date.” Kara looks somewhat relieved, though there’s an edge of nervousness to her voice.

“Well, you just made this night a whole lot easier on me. Lois has been setting me up on so many blind dates that end in disaster that I’m kind of just burned out, you know? I made the stupid mistake of having too much wine the last time I visited Metropolis and since I got back here it’s just been one bad date after another. I’m pretty sick of them at this point.” Lucy picks up a menu to idly peruse even though she’s already made her selection.

“Exactly how many dates has she set you up on since your trip?” Kara asks before taking a sip of her water. She mirrors Lucy picks up a menu, dividing her attention between Lucy and the text.

“Six,” Lucy answers in a flat voice.

Kara’s eyes widen. “Oh, wow. Didn’t you just get back like…”

“Two weeks ago,” Lucy finishes as she nods. “Lois basically has two modes: now and maybe next week. Unfortunately, she’s quite fixated on helping me find love.” She rolls her eyes as she says the last two words.

The waiter stops by again, and they give him their entree selections.

“That does sound like a bit much.” Kara pauses and trails her fingers over the condensation that’s collected on her water. “Um, you know, I’m not really looking for a relationship but,” she swallows and looks up, “I wouldn’t mind making a new friend.”

Kara looks so earnest that Lucy can only smile. “I think I’d like that. I moved here six months ago and I’ve been so busy that I haven’t really made too many of those.”

“Oh, really? I’m surprised that Lois didn’t try to get us to meet sooner.”

Lucy bites her lip and looks down. “Lois and I weren’t on good terms when I moved here, but about two months ago we kind of worked things out.”

“I can’t imagine not speaking to my sister for more than a few days,” Kara admits with a wry smile.

It hurts a little bit to hear, though Lucy knows Kara doesn’t mean for it to. When they were kids, Lucy had looked up to Lois so much, but after a while they’d just grown apart and even short interactions could lead to long arguments. Her brow furrows after a moment. “Lois didn’t tell me you have a sister.”

“Well, actually,” Kara begins.

Dinner passes by quickly as they talk, and Lucy has to admit she’s having an amazing time without the pressure of romance on the horizon. Kara is funny without trying, and has an enthusiasm for food that makes Lucy grin into her wine glass.

“Oh, wow, is it really this late already?” Kara is blinking over at the wall clock displayed behind the bar.

Even Lucy is surprised. She’s been aware of the passage of time since they’d consumed their meals - Kara had talked her into splitting a colossal piece of cheesecake - and had several refills of drinks, but still.

“It’s funny how the best date Lois has set me up on is actually the one that isn’t a date,” Lucy says with a smile.

“Well, I mean it could be,” Kara replies. Her face flushes and she reaches up to adjust her glasses. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, I meant that maybe if you wanted to - since Lois has been so set on matching you up - you could _technically_ call this a date.”

Lucy blinks.

“To Lois. For reasons,” Kara adds.

The additions don’t help, though Lucy’s heart does pound a little harder. She clears her throat. “I’m not sure I follow…?”

Kara is blushing furiously, but she gulps down another swallow of water and tries again. “I was just saying, that since we are going to be friends and maybe we’ll be hanging out, if you wanted to tell Lois we’re dating, I wouldn’t mind. It would be a nice cover. For both of us, I mean.”

Lucy’s lips twitch. Kara is so damn adorable and sweet and…what would it hurt? “Sure, yeah, okay.”

The smile she’s tried to resist blossoms into being when Kara immediately straightens in her seat.

“Really?” Kara’s surprise is as comical as it is cute.

“Yeah, really. I had a good time tonight, Kara.” A warmth settles in Lucy’s chest. “Would you like my number?”

“Oh, yes,” Kara blurts out. Her eyes widen again and then she’s tugging out her small purse to collect her phone.

“Here,” Lucy says as she reaches out a hand. Kara looks down at it for a moment before understanding that Lucy wants her phone.

“Right, yeah, that’s easier.” Kara chuckles nervously as she hands over her phone.

Lucy studiously ignores the soft tingles that spread from her hand where Kara’s fingertips have brushed, instead focusing on her task. She bites her lip and looks up at Kara when she’s finished putting in her number. “Don’t feel pressured into contacting me, but I’d really like to hang out, Kara.”

Kara smiles when her phone is returned, tapping absently at the device for a few moments.

Lucy has scarcely picked up her own phone when it vibrates. She gives Kara a curious look before checking her notifications.

‘ _I’d like to hang out too_ ,’ the message reads.

She laughs and looks up, and is startled to find a perfect, small smile on Kara’s face. As much as Kara has grinned and laughed, there’s something special about this small and almost secretive smile.

Lucy can’t wait until their next non-date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Impromptu prompts: "Kara/Lucy set up on a blind date by a mutual friend and neither is really looking forward to it but they'll go anyway and Lucy especially is determined to not enjoy this just out of spite for that friend but oh damn it Kara is adorable and delightful and Lucy really likes her how did this happen" + "i'd really love a fake dating relationship au between kara and lucy."


	4. Slow Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked: Kara and Lucy meet at a motorcycle show. Flirtations ensue.

Kara frowns down at her tablet as she makes some notes. She’d accepted the fluff piece for the sole reason that her male counterparts had snickered when the editor-in-chief had asked her to cover for one of their colleagues. Normally Kara doesn’t write any articles - editing is more her thing - but if there’s one thing Kara hates, it’s when people underestimate her.

She wonders what her colleagues will think when she returns to work with such a well-rounded article. A smile curls her lips as she considers the fact that none of them know that cardigan-wearing often-socially-awkward-Kara _loves_  motorcycles.

“Can I help you with anything?” a polite voice inquires.

“No, I,” Kara freezes when she looks up and finds that her company isn’t what she expected at all. 

The place is liberally appointed with hired “biker babes” that are actually quite a friendly bunch, but the woman before her isn’t in a tiny black crop top and shorts. Rather, the petite brunette is dressed in snug black jeans and a red v-neck shirt, with a thin leather riding jacket and matching boots.

Kara worries that maybe she’s drooling.

“Are you alright?” The woman frowns. “It’s pretty warm today. Have you been drinking enough water?”

Kara blushes and moistens her lips as she reaches up to adjust her glasses. “No, I mean yes. I’m fine, sorry. You just - I mean no one was here a moment ago and then woop, here you are and,” Kara forcibly shuts her mouth and grips her tablet.

The woman laughs, the skin around her green eyes crinkling attractively. “Yeah, I think most people are checking out the Vincent Black Shadow since the owner is holding court.”

“I checked it out earlier,” Kara admits as she tucks some hair behind her ear. “I don’t understand why it’s so appealing, but it is.”

“Bikes like that just aren’t made any more,” the woman agrees with a smile. “It was definitely over-designed for the time, but it’s just so damn beautiful.”

Kara bites her lip to keep from saying something embarrassing - like how beautiful the stranger is. “It really is.”

“Sorry,” the woman suddenly says as she sticks out her hand, “I’m Lucy.”

“Lucy,” Kara repeats as she reaches out to accept the hand, “I’m Kara.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kara. What brings you here today?” Lucy tilts her head curiously as the handshake ends.

For a moment Kara wishes she’d chosen something other than her work clothes of slacks and her favorite cardigan, but she straightens her shoulders. 

_Dress in whatever you’ll be comfortable in, Kara. If anyone gives you any shit, you’ve got my number. A lot of accidents can happen around so many motorcycles, you know._

Kara smiles, confidence restored. Alex always knows what to say to make her feel better. “I’m actually here writing an article for work.”

“Oh, really?” Lucy looks surprised.

“Why does that surprise you?” Kara asks, confused. 

Lucy gives her a slow look over, the corner of her mouth just barely curling up. “I saw you checking out a few of the bikes; I can tell you love them.”

Now it’s Kara that’s surprised.

“So tell me,” Lucy continues as she flips her hair, “what do you own?”

“H-how did you…?” Kara marvels at how Lucy, who looks like the quintessential rider, would fail to stereotype Kara based on what _she’s_  wearing.

“Kara, please,” Lucy murmurs with a hiked eyebrow.

The sexy little smirk makes Kara flush again. 

“N-nothing really flashy or anything, just a little Honda CB400f.” Kara’s not sure why she’s embarrassed. She loves her bike.

Lucy nods in approval. “Not the fastest for its time, but I’ve heard they handle really well. Speed isn’t everything.”

Kara’s tempted to pinch herself. What are the odds that she’d meet a beautiful, intelligent, open-minded stranger who respects all manner of motorcycles while out for work?

 _She must be straight_ , Kara thinks as her shoulders slump.

“Did you bring it?” Lucy asks, disrupting Kara’s downward spiral.

“Yeah?” Kara is confused again, though hope blossoms in her chest.

“Would you mind taking me for a test ride? I’m curious.” Lucy looks innocent enough, but Kara wonders.

The Honda CB400f has notoriously small seats. Kara’s not sure if they’ll both comfortably fit, and if they will they’ll be pressed rather tightly together.

She opens her mouth to comment as such, but Lucy’s wearing that sexy smirk again.

 _Oh_. Kara’s heartbeat picks up and she rolls her lips together to moisten them. “O-okay, yeah. I think I have everything I need for my article. Did you want to go now?”

“Sounds good to me,” Lucy replies with a smile.

Kara turns and begins hesitantly walking, feeling relieved when Lucy falls into step beside her.

“You know, maybe after we’re done I can show you how _my_  ride handles,” Lucy says after they’ve taken a few steps.

 _Lucy has quick reflexes_ , Kara thinks when she stumbles and Lucy immediately reaches out to steady her and keep her from falling.

“You okay?” It’s clear the words are meant for more than the stumble; for the first time Lucy looks a little unsure.

The uncertainty puts Kara at ease, and she feels like she can breathe again. Her arm is warm under Lucy’s hand. “Yeah,” she says with a slow smile, “I’m great.”


	5. The Trials and Tribulations of Being Lucy Lane Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kara/Lucy won the vote for fluffy ficlet day. I chose to pick up where the first part left off. :)

* * *

Lucy’s surprised when her next meeting with Kara ends up being far sooner than either anticipated - thanks to a chance meeting at Kara’s job at CatCo Worldwide Media.

“ _This_  is where you work?” Lucy asks with raised brows the moment her meeting with Cat Grant is over.

Kara blushes and glances toward her boss’s office briefly before looking away. “Yeah.”

“Oh. Shit.” Lucy finds herself glancing back to Cat Grant’s office now too. She suddenly understands why she’s been hired to update CatCo’s company policies, particularly pertaining to interpersonal relations. Kara had admitted at their dinner that her messy relationship had actually been with her boss.

She thinks of how she’s seen Cat treat Kara so far, and acid churns in Lucy’s stomach. When she turns back to Kara, she can see Kara tensing and waiting for some sharp barb. Lucy takes a breath.

“Hey, you want to have dinner with me tonight?”

Kara’s lips part in surprise, a slow smile morphing her face until she’s grinning. “Really?”

“Yeah, really.” It’s only been a few days since they’ve had dinner, and Lucy’s been busy. She’d only returned the first few of Kara’s texts, being caught up doing research for her work at CatCo.

“I’d love that,” Kara says with pink-tinged cheeks.

“Great. How about I pick you up at 7? Will that give you enough time to get away from here?” Lucy’s careful to keep her tone even. She’s not judging Kara.

Kara straightens in her seat and purses her lips. “Oh, you don’t have to go out of your way. I’m used to taking the bus.”

Lucy tilts her head. “Well, if that’s what you _want_  to do, Kara, I respect that. I really wouldn’t mind picking you up though. I like spending time with you.”

Her lips twitch into a small smile when Kara’s blush deepens. Kara’s eyes seem bluer somehow; even though Lucy’s a little worried about Kara’s work situation, she can’t help but feel enchanted by how damn _adorable_  Kara is.

“Um,” Kara says as she bites her lower lip to try and hide her smile. It’s not working–except for the fact that Lucy now _really_  wants to pick Kara up. “I’ll text you my address.”

Now Lucy does grin. “Great. I’ll let you get back to work.”

*

Kara’s smile stays with Lucy for the rest of the day. It’s only when Lucy’s getting ready for the night that she reminds herself this is _not_  a date-date.

“ _Well that was fast_ ,” Lois says over the line. 

Lucy’s eyes narrow. She sounds far too smug for Lucy’s liking. “It’s not like we’re getting _married_ , Lois. It’s just dinner.”

Lois only hums, obviously delighted that one of her attempts at matchmaking has paid off. Lucy has to remind herself that Lois is supposed to think she and Kara have hit it off. Which they did, just not the way she’s letting Lois think.

Right?

Oh, right. Kara’s just gotten out of a really messy relationship. Lucy’s not going to be _that_  person when Kara obviously needs a friend. She clears her throat. “Well, I have to go pick her up and unlike _some_  people, I pride myself in being on time. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Lucy hangs up after Lois’s goodbye, checking her appearance one last time. She looks great, but she’s definitely put the effort in tonight. Kara’s undoubtedly worth it.

*

When Lucy knocks on Kara’s door that evening, it’s obvious she’s caught Kara by surprise.

“Oh, Lucy!” Kara leaves the door half-closed, looking jittery.

She looks cute in a belted brown sheathe with white polka dots, but her hair is mussed and her glasses are missing.

The way she holds the door still mostly closed makes Lucy worry that she’s interrupted something. “Oh, did you need to cancel tonight?”

“No,” comes a muffled voice from inside the apartment.

Kara’s cheeks flush. “No.” She laughs nervously.

Lucy’s eyes narrow when Kara’s glasses slowly appear from behind the door jamb. Kara’s cheeks flush a brighter red, and then she snatches her glasses with both hands and puts them on.

The other person in the apartment takes the opportunity to pull the door open wider.

“Hello,” the woman says with a smile as she extends her hand, “you must be Lucy. I’m Alex.”

Lucy takes in the chin-length auburn hair and serene smile with a surprised blink, but accepts the handshake. “Nice to meet you Alex, Kara has told me a lot about you.”

“I could say the same,” Alex says with a smirk as her eyes flick to Kara.

“Alex,” Kara warns with wide eyes.

If Lucy couldn’t see the warm genuine affection between the two, she might feel a little protective of Kara. It’s clear that the two have a great bond, so Lucy smiles instead.

“Did I get the time wrong?” Lucy asks as she glances at her watch.

“No, but–”

“Kara kind of forgot we had plans.” Alex raises a hand when Lucy looks like she’s going to interrupt. “No, no. I’m glad she’s made a new friend. She and I can hang out any time, and I think it’s better if she has a night out. She works too hard.”

At this point Kara’s blush seems like it might be permanent. “Um, I’m just going to go fix my hair.”

Alex grins and steps back from the door. “Lucy, why don’t you come in to wait while she does that.”

Kara’s muttering under her breath as she walks away, but Lucy can’t make out what she’s saying. Lucy shrugs and follows Alex to the living area, taking a seat on the couch as Alex sits at an adjoining chair.

“So,” Alex says the moment she’s settled, “you know about her last relationship.”

Lucy considers telling Alex that she and Kara aren’t really dating, but she doesn’t. “A little, yes.”

“I didn’t like her. She didn’t treat Kara well enough. I still don’t like her.” Alex grimaces, but she’s watching Lucy carefully.

“Given the situation, I understand your feelings perfectly. Once I realized today, well.” Lucy doesn’t voice her thoughts, instead letting her scowl and hard eyes speak for themselves. “Kara is the sweetest person I’ve ever met.”

She must have said or done something right, because Alex relaxes back into her chair. She gives Lucy an easy smile. “She is. Make sure you don’t hurt her, okay?”

Though Alex still seems cheerful and relaxed, something in her eyes makes Lucy straighten her shoulders. She’s seen that look before, back when she was still in the army. She makes a mental note to ask Kara what it is that Alex does for a living.

“I have no intention of hurting Kara.”

A loud cough interrupts their conversation, and Lucy looks up and sees a furiously blushing Kara standing barely a few feet away.

“I’m, um,” Kara’s throat works as she swallows, “ready.”

“You look amazing,” Lucy says without thinking.

Kara’s smile makes her stomach flutter, the small shy one that had so captivated Lucy on their first non-date. “Thanks.”

“Well,” Alex says in a loud voice, “you two crazy kids should get going or you’ll be late for your reservation.” Alex stands and rushes behind Kara to gently push her toward the door, collecting Lucy with an extended arm along the way.

Lucy finds herself laughing the moment the door closes behind them. “I really like your sister.”

Kara’s grinning, and she shakes her head. “She can be so embarrassing sometimes.”

“She loves you,” Lucy says as she thinks of Lois.

“She does,” Kara agrees with a small nod and a whimsical smile.

Lucy licks her lips absently, torn between with what she wants to do and what she knows she should do. She takes a breath before reaching out to casually take Kara’s hand. “Come on, I promised you dinner.”

She worries for a moment that maybe she’s done the wrong thing with the way Kara’s staring down at their hands, but Kara doesn’t pull away. Her heart skips a beat when she sees Kara biting at her lower lip.

“You did,” Kara says in a soft voice. She squeezes Lucy’s hand.

As Lucy turns to lead them toward the elevator she feels like she’s floating. She wonders how long their non-dating will last before it turns into something else. She isn’t sure, but she knows she’ll enjoy every moment.


	6. January, the Month of Netflix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “It was January, the month of unemployment.”

Lucy sighs as she stares up at the ceiling, the small orange-brown spot warped by water damage in the corner almost a permanent imprint in her mind.

She’d found the apartment by accident, mindlessly driving after turning her resignation in at CatCo. The old brick building had looked like it’d seen better days, but the flickering neon sign proudly promoting ‘rent by the week’ and ‘fully furnished rooms’ had garnered a second and third look.

The landlord, a surly woman with deep lines on her face and thinning hair on her head, had scrutinized Lucy for the entire ten minutes it had taken to fill out the rental agreement form.

Once her card had cleared, Lucy had immediately gone to check out her new accommodations. She’d seen and had worse in the Army, and she’d slipped out to pick up a few simple things.

Lucy could have bought a ticket back to DC, or even one to Metropolis, but she couldn’t bear to face her family just yet. Her dad had been dead set against the move, and Lucy could recall the pensive purse to Lois’s lips when they’d video chatted the day after she and James had gotten back together.

It’s been three weeks since she’d found this place, and three weeks since she hasn’t done more than huddle up on the couch to binge Netflix or pick up the phone to order take out. She winces as she recalls staring at the Netflix logo, some small angry part of her getting her on her feet to pull out her laptop. She’d taken a strange satisfaction in changing the password; she pays for it, and the last thing she wants is James snuggled up watching _their_ shows together with his new love.

The anger had faded after she’d deleted his profile.

She’d binge watched every episode of Criminal Minds she could stand after that.

 _It’s the worst_ , she’d decided after season 6, _because I genuinely like Kara_.

Kara, whose earnest sweetness had disarmed any jealousy Lucy could harbor from the first moment Kara had smiled. Lucy really could understand why James had fallen in love with her.

Lucy comes to the conclusion that maybe she’s maybe a little in love with her, too.

She plans to never _ever_ say that out loud. Her feelings are confusing, and she’d initially chalked up the joy she’d felt to seeing Kara as excitement at making a new friend. The anger had surprised her, particularly because every single ounce of it was aimed at James.

She couldn’t be mad at Kara, who’d shown up at her desk with chocolate croissants and a cup of coffee the first time she’d been stuck at her desk late working on something for Cat Grant. She couldn’t be mad because Kara had been unerringly kind to her, a stranger in a new city that had been dating _James_.

The acid in Lucy’s stomach churns, and she shakes her head. She straightens her head so she’s no longer staring up at the ceiling, realizing she’s missed almost the entire episode of Daredevil.

All of a sudden she’s sick of Netflix, the couch, and her blanket.

When was the last time she showered? She doesn’t remember.

Lucy sighs and pushes to her feet, ambling her way to the bathroom. The bright fluorescent lights hanging overhead are unforgiving as she chances a look at the mirror hanging over the sink.

“It was January, the month of unemployment,” she mutters to herself as she takes a last look in the mirror. She refuses to be this pasty, miserable person any longer.

She takes her time showering, doing a thorough grooming in an attempt to make herself feel better with a little TLC.

It helps, she discovers as she dries her hair and then applies a cursory amount of makeup to her face.

The phone rings as she steps out of the bathroom, and she’s surprised to hear the sound of the surly landlord’s voice. Their conversation is concise, and Lucy’s left shaking her head.

Despite her attempt at a clean break, she’s needed back at CatCo to sign some papers. Lucy rolls her eyes and let’s out a sigh. “Of course.”

***

Lucy’s head is high as she steps out of the small conference room. She’s dressed sharply today, her armor just as much as her uniform used to be.

“Lucy,” a familiar voice calls out as she’s about to make her way to the bank of elevators.

Her shoulders slump and she has to stifle the urge to sigh. “Kara,” she says in a half-exasperated, half-resigned tone.

The smile stretching Kara’s face is too full, her hands fidgeting with the small notebook clasped in front of her like a shield. “Could I talk with you for a moment?”

A ‘no’ is on the tip of Lucy’s tongue, but a long look at Kara has her changing her mind. “Okay.”

They don’t go to the break room like Lucy expects, Kara instead ducking back into the conference room once she’s certain it’s empty.

“What’s up, Kara?” Lucy asks with a small frown.

Kara stares at her a moment before stepping forward and pulling her into a hug. “How are you? Are you okay?”

The soft, light perfume Kara’s wearing distracts Lucy for a few seconds as the words play in the back of her mind. She swallows and raises an arm to pat Kara’s back once before stepping back.

She’s still frowning as she looks up at Kara. “Isn’t it kind of…insensitive of you to ask that?”

“What? Oh, are you–I’m sorry, I’ve just been so worried you just  _disappeared_ and I didn’t know where to find you, and then when I asked James he told me that you’d broken up and I wanted to punch him because how could he break up with _you_ and…” Kara takes in a hurried breath, her eyes wide as she brings a hand up to cover her mouth.

Lucy holds up a hand to stem another flurry of words. Confusion doesn’t begin to describe how she’s feeling. “Kara, don’t take this the wrong way, but I thought you’d be happy we broke up.”

Almost immediately Kara’s cheeks flush and she looks everywhere but at Lucy. “No, I– _no_. I mean, a little maybe, but _oh_ why did I say that? Look, um.” Kara swallows, her eyelashes fluttering as she tries to recover.

Again Lucy finds she can’t be mad, her head shaking from side to side and a small smile pulling at her lips. “It’s okay, Kara,” she says as she pats awkwardly at Kara’s shoulder.

“No, okay,” Kara replies a little too loudly, her own head shaking. “I _loved_ you two as a couple, and I’ll admit maybe that I had a bit of a crush on the both of you, but you guys are just so, _wow_ –”

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait.” Lucy’s eyes are wide and Kara’s blush seems permanent. “Y-you’re telling me that you didn’t have a crush on James? Well, you did, but,” she makes gestures with her hands when words fail her.

“I had a crush on you too,” Kara admits as she stares at the wall to their right, “but I got so angry with him when I heard you broke up.”

Lucy takes in a slow deep breath to dispel the edge of dizziness that’s threatening her equilibrium. “Just to be clear, I broke up with _him_ ,” she mumbles as she tries to process Kara’s confession.

“But it was his fault,” Kara blurts out almost immediately.

Lucy knows Kara’s thinking about James’s dad, and the story James had never bothered to share with _her_ , the woman he’d claimed to love. She snorts. “It wasn’t _all_ his fault, Kara. Mostly, maybe, but I had my part in it too.” She pauses. “Sorry, but can we just…I wasn’t expecting this today.”

She didn’t think it was possible, but Kara suddenly becomes redder.

“Oh, no. You just broke up with James and then I,” Kara cuts herself off and turns away, her face buried in her hands.

“I’m so sorry,” Kara says some moments later. She’s still facing away from Lucy.

Lucy bites her lip, wishing Kara could see that she’s not upset. If anything she’s feeling a little…giddy. She sobers. She _did_ just get out of a relationship, and one that she’d rushed back into far too soon. “Hey, Kara? You want to hang out a bit after work?”

Kara turns on her heel with almost inhuman speed. “What, really?”

She looks so cute that Lucy finds herself smiling. “Yeah, really. I could use a friend.”

Kara’s smile rivals the brightness of the sun. “I’m your friend.”

They get lost in their shared smile for several moments, but then Kara’s phone beeps and they look away. Lucy’s smile becomes secretive.

She does need time, but as they exit the conference room and their hands accidentally brush, Lucy knows that some day they’ll be something more than just friends.

Lucy isn’t James; she’s far too smart not to tell a woman like Kara how she feels.


	7. The Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of Ficlet Day: October, with the three-word prompt "that's not mine."

* * *

“This is getting really old, you know.” Alex is leaning against her locker, a displeased look on her face.

“Shut up,” Kara says as she tries not to pout.

“That’s why I decided to take matters into my own hands.”

Kara stops peeking through the locker wall; she’d just wanted a quick look to see what Lucy was up to. The smirk on Alex’s face makes a chill run down Kara’s spine. “Alex, _what did you do_?”

“Oh, Kara, I’m glad you asked.” Alex pauses to stretch, reveling in Kara’s discomfort. “Has Lucy gotten to her snail mail yet, by the way?”

“What?” Kara frowns, distractedly glancing back toward Lucy’s office. “Yeah, why?”

“You’re welcome,” Alex sing-songs before turning and scurrying from the room.

Kara is left to sit and puzzle over the odd declaration. An idle glance back at Lucy confirms that the co-directer of the DEO is still going through a pile of mail.

And that’s when Kara sees it. Alex’s scrawl is unmistakable, but Kara isn’t alarmed until she recognizes the odd shapes around the barely legible “for Lucy” are supposed to be _hearts_.

“Oh, no no no no no,” Kara mumbles as she zooms out of the locker room and over to Lucy’s office.

Unfortunately, Lucy is already reading the letter by the time Kara bursts through the door.

“Kara?” Lucy’s brow is furrowed and the letter remains firmly grasped between both of her hands.

Kara glances at the note, and then back to Lucy’s face. “That’s not mine,” she blurts out.

Is it warm in Lucy’s office? Maybe she could fly to Antarctica to cool off...and never, ever return. Except maybe to kill Alex. Well, not kill: seriously annoy and possibly embarrass. Maybe she should fly _Alex_ to Antarctica.

“I know that,” Lucy says slowly, “Alex turns in enough reports for me to know her handwriting.”

“Oh.” Kara reaches back to fidget with her cape, a nervous giggle escaping her. “Well, in that case, I’m just going to, you know,” she gestures awkwardly back the way she came.

“Wait, don’t you want to talk about this?” Lucy’s chair creaks as she stands, her hands pressed firmly to the top of her desk.

“T-talk about this? This, what? No, oh you know, I think I might hear,” Kara turns her head, her heart pounding as she listens in to National City for any cries of help, “there’s a guy. No, actually, no it’s a woman. And she needs, uh, help with...a her cat, no, car. Yes, her car.”

Kara’s face feels like it’s on fire by the time she reaches a decent altitude.

 _Alaska is closer,_ she considers seriously as she flies to inquire if the young woman experiencing car trouble would like a free lift to a garage, rather than having to pay for a tow.

*

It’s only a few hours later when Kara returns to the DEO. She elects to hide out in the break room to wait for Alex, and triumphantly retrieves the last cup of her sister’s favorite pudding from the fridge. Alex had forfeited the pudding the moment she’d betrayed Kara, after all.

“Kara.”

Kara accidentally inhales too strongly, and then she’s doing her best not to choke on her spoon. “Lucy, hey,” she wheezes out once the bent metal object formerly known as a spoon is discarded back onto the table.

Lucy looks stern, her arms crossed a she moves to stand directly in front of Kara. “What’s going on with you? Is it Alex’s letter?”

Not for the first time, Kara wishes invisibility was part of her superpowered repertoire. “Some people have all the luck,” she mutters under her breath.

“You don’t have to worry, you know,” Lucy says as she sits down. She still looks very serious. “Things won’t change. Well, they will, but in a good way.”

“W-what do you mean?” Kara asks with wide eyes. Does...does Lucy feel the same?

“Just because Alex asked me out and I said yes, it doesn’t mean I’m stealing her away. It’s just one date. I understand you two have a special bond.”

The roaring in Kara’s ears is so loud that she can’t appreciate the fact that Lucy’s hand is on her own, no doubt trying to comfort her in some way.

“That _traitor!_ ”

Kara’s so angry she’s tempted to use her heat vision to burn through the walls and melt Alex’s chair out from under her. She doesn’t. She’s a good person, after all, unlike _some_ people.

Her fury is interrupted by a soft snort, and then the room is filled with the sound of Lucy’s uncontrollable laughter.

It dawns on Kara that maybe she’s just been the victim of a nefarious prank. She pouts, but she’s secretly relieved. Well, mostly relieved.

“You guys are so mean,” Kara says as she buries her face in her hands. She’s also mortified.

Lucy’s laughter slows and fades, and Kara chances a peek through her fingers.

There’s a smile on Lucy’s face, but it’s soft and sweet. “No, Alex didn’t ask me out in the letter, Kara.”

“I figured.” Kara closes the gap in her fingers, unable to look at Lucy.

She hears Lucy get up, and Kara wonders if she’s going to have some relief from her embarrassment.

Soft fingertips brush her own, and Kara is so startled that Lucy is able to easily tug her hands away from her face.

The tender smile is still on Lucy’s face. “Alex asked me out on a date for _you_.”

“What?” Kara all but screeches.

“Do you want to go out on a date with me, Kara Danvers?”

Kara realizes that not only does Lucy look serious, but she’s still holding Kara’s hands. “I, yo--w-what? Date?”

“She just asked you out, dummy,” Alex says from the doorway.

The sounds that Kara manages to make don’t sound much like words at all.

Alex grins at Lucy. “She said yes!”

When Lucy turns to look back at Kara, Kara can only nod.

She’ll drop Alex off in Alaska later. Tomorrow, maybe, after it sinks in that Lucy Lane _likes_ her and they’re going on a _date_.


	8. Air is the Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of November's ficlet day, with the song title prompt “The Pros & Cons of Breathing” by Fall Out Boy for Superlane, requested by an anon.

* * *

Kara concentrates, the tip of her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she very carefully moves her pen. She frowns down at the paper a moment before nodding.

 _The Pros & Cons of Breathing_, the bold, neat title reads.

 _Pro - living_ , she writes down after a brief hesitation. On days like today she and Alex might debate whether breathing is, in fact, a pro, but that’s Kara allowing herself to digress from the main point. She’ll let it stand as a positive for now.

She bites her lip and looks around Alex’s empty office. It’s the most private place Kara could think of, especially since Alex had shot tranquilizer darts at the last guy that had tried to drop more paperwork off at Alex’s desk.

J’onn had ended confiscating the tranquilizer gun, and Alex is currently away attending mandatory counseling for her office aggression.

Kara takes a breath, sure that no one else is forthcoming. It’s still hard to write. She rolls the pen absently between her fingers, briefly tucking it under the fabric of her Supergirl costume sleeve.

Her pen moves hesitantly. _Con - trying to ask Lucy Lane out and literally choking on air, my newest nemesis, a foe greater than any before, the truest form of evil in all the univer--_

“Kara? What are you doing in here?” comes Lucy’s voice.

The pen cracks in Kara’s grip. “L-lucy?” She clears her throat and stands, trying to look serious. “I mean, I could ask you the same thing, hm? W-why are _you_ in Alex’s office?”

Lucy gives Kara a slow onceover. She points at herself with a thumb. “Does the title ‘Co-Director of the D.E.O.’ mean anything to you?”

Kara’s hand rises to fidget with nonexistent glasses. “I, um, oh _Rao_.” Her poor attempt at a recovery is foiled when she realizes that the broken pen is _leaking_ ; she’s fairly certain there’s blue ink all over her face.

When she looks over at Lucy, she can see the barely contained mirth.

“I, uh, came in here to grab some signed documents your sister forgot that HR needs for her sessions,” Lucy says in a wavering voice. It’s clear she’s having a very difficult time not laughing. “I’ll just grab those real quick.”

The moment Lucy is gone, Kara sinks back down into Alex’s office chair. She buries her face in her hands, only to realize she never discarded the pen and has probably just made her face look worse.

“Why am I so clumsy,” she whines as she presses her forehead down over her abandoned list.

She isn’t sure how long she sits there, lost as she is in wishing a Curosiananiun would just appear and swallow her whole.

The door squeaks open, making her look up.

Lucy walks in, a mug in one hand and a cloth handkerchief in the other. “You know, Alex tells me that you’re actually stronger and faster than your cousin by quite a bit,” Lucy says as she rounds Alex’s desk. “It stands to reason that you fitting in takes much more effort than it does for him him. How do you even keep your temper at CatCo?”

Kara can only blink as a gentle hand on her shoulder guides her to sit up. Her chin tingles when Lucy tilts it upward with a brush of her fingers. “Oh, um, you know. On Krypton we were taught reason and thought were the true hallmarks of a truly civilized people. I will admit that sometimes it’s hard to keep my temper at work, but I see it as further conditioning.”

Kara isn’t altogether sure what she’s just said; Lucy is murmuring noncommittal agreements as she dips the handkerchief into the cup and begins serenely cleaning Kara’s face.

The water is warm and the cloth is soft--and Lucy’s eyes look incredible this close.

“I can clean myself up,” Kara says after a moment. It’s a half-hearted attempt, but she doesn’t want Lucy to feel obligated into, well, anything.

“I know, Kara,” Lucy replies with a smile.

Breathing is forgotten, and Kara only just manages a small nod.

They’re quiet as Lucy continues her ministrations. Kara because she’s absorbing all she can about Lucy in the unguarded moment, and Lucy because she’s intent on helping Kara.

“Kara, did you have a good time the other night?”

Kara swallows. Lucy’s hands have stopped moving, but one of them is still cupping Kara’s jaw. “Yes, of course.”

Lucy’s mouth opens and closes as she struggles to find words. “Why didn’t you call me, then? I kind of thought maybe we could do it again.”

And Kara is stunned; the quiet vulnerability in Lucy’s expression makes Kara want to do _something_.

She stands, taking Lucy’s hands in hers. “I’m so sorry,” Kara says tenderly, her thumbs brushing over the backs of Lucy’s hands, “I, um, actually broke my phone when I was trying to text you goodnight, and then I thought _oh no she’s going to think I’m a jerk_ and I panicked and when I tried talking to you about it the next day Vasquez kept sending me out on missions and then I _literally choked_ when I tried to ask you out this morning and--”

Lucy laughs, visibly relieved. She steps closer to Kara, leaning up on her tiptoes.

Kara closes her eyes and meets Lucy’s lips with her own halfway, only stopping when she hears Alex’s voice.

“Ugh, _gross_. Why are you doing this in my office? Why aren’t you doing this in--oh god I think I’m gonna be sick. My eyes, they’re burning, someone send help.”

Kara chuckles, her cheeks warm as she turns and finds Alex with a hand covering her eyes, the other dramatically waving around in the air.

“My bad,” Lucy says with a smirk. “I’ll just add another session with our psychologist for you, Danvers.”

“I’ll murder you in your sleep, Lane,” Alex mutters under her breath.

“Please don’t,” Kara says congenially.

Alex mutters some more, and Kara takes it as her cue to leave.

She grins as both she and Lucy exit Alex’s office, their hands finding their way together.

Her head tilts when her superhearing picks up something else Alex says.

“Let’s, uh, walk faster,” Kara blurts out.

“Why?” Lucy asks with a small frown.

“Alex just saw the mess on her desk,” Kara says with wide eyes.


	9. The Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy picks up a curious habit while on vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally written to assist dare121 with her advent calendar collection of ficlets, reposting here since not everyone multiships and the Kara/Lucy shippers might have missed it.

* * *

Lucy is giddy as she rides a last wave toward the shore, savoring how breathless she feels during the seldom enjoyed activity. She squints just slightly into the slowly rising sun, grinning at the water spray that pricks against her lower extremities.

She’s enjoying her sabbatical more than she’d thought, a sure sign that the time away from her firm and clients is exactly what she needed.

As her movement slows, she lowers herself to paddle the rest of the way. She’s had her fill for the time being, and there’s more she’s set to do today.

“Lane,” comes a somewhat familiar voice as Lucy’s hefting her board up onto the sand.

Lucy glances upward, a small smile coming to her lips. “Danvers,” she concedes with a dip of her head. “You’re late today.”

Alex shrugs and plants her own surfboard in the sand. “Had a late night,” she admits as she tugs the top half of her wetsuit up from around her hips to cover her black bikini top.

“I hope it was worth missing those early morning waves,” Lucy teases as she runs a hand through her hair.

“Movie night with my sister.” Alex pauses to zip up the wetsuit. “Always worth it.” She pauses again, suddenly looking at Lucy. “You know, you’re totally her type.”

Lucy raises her eyebrows.

“Yeah, you’re clever, wound tight, and full of sarcasm. Sometimes you even smell good when you’re not wallowing in fish poop and whatnot.” Alex is grinning by the time she finishes.

“How does your girlfriend ever put up with you?” Lucy deadpans.

Alex’s grin widens, but she ignores Lucy’s question. “And you know, all your chit-chat might distract her enough that she doesn’t notice just how short you are.”

“Why don’t you go ahead and hit the water before I’m forced to hit you,” Lucy warns with narrowed eyes.

She’s joking, mostly, but Alex laughs and picks up her board all the same.

“See you tomorrow, Lane,” Alex calls out over her shoulder as she begins wading out into the water.

Lucy mutters a response, smiling despite herself. Their friendship is an odd one - if it can even be called that. She shrugs the thought off; she’s due for a shower, and her bungalow is only a couple minutes’ walk away.

*

The shower doesn’t take long, and then Lucy’s changing into her favorite tank and snug running pants. She’d had some peanut butter on toast before her shower, but she’s ready to head into town to pick out some fruit and stuff for lunch.

And, well. She doesn’t think about the other thing just yet. Lucy’s not sure she’ll even be there today, so there’s no reason to make plans.

Even if she _had_ been there every other day the last week. It doesn’t mean Lucy’s planned her morning with any particular side trips in mind. She makes sure to grab her backpack on the way out.

Nearly twenty minutes later when Lucy has nearly reached the grocery story, there _she_ is.

Lucy blazes past with a smile, already knowing there’s going to be an extra addition to her morning purchases. Again.

She hops off her bike and greets a few familiar faces, her eyes flicking to her Fitbit. Lucy’s pleased with her heart rate and time. She hadn’t been pushing herself especially hard, but she already sees an improvement from her first week in Midvale.

Locking up her bike doesn’t take long, and she adjusts the straps of her small backpack over her shoulders.

The locals know her now, and she doesn’t have any trouble picking out her usual selections for the day. She hesitates only briefly as she considers the checkout line or the aisle she’s pretending to avoid.

She sighs and heads to the pet aisle anyway. Two foil packets of individual servings of cat food find their way into her basket.

Lucy tells herself it’s only the right thing to do. The cashier rings her up quickly, and then Lucy’s tucking her purchases into her backpack.

She checks her watch. With her improved cycling time, there’s definitely some to spare for a small diversion. At least, that’s what she reasons as she only gets a small distance away from the store before pulling over and parking her bike again.

The small black furry head is already poking out of the hedge.

“Hey pretty,” Lucy coos after a cursory glance around reveals no one is in hearing distance. “Got your breakfast again today.”

Lucy has already warred with herself over feeding the stray; she won’t be here forever, and she shouldn’t get attached, but…

The cat meows softly and then steps out of the hedge, revealing a bulging stomach.

“You’re not just eating for one anymore. You need to be careful.” Lucy glances around once more before shrugging her backpack off. She takes out a small pink bowl shaped like a fish and one of the foil packets.

She admires the white patch over the cat’s mouth and front paws briefly before depositing the bowl and tearing open the packet. “You look about ready to burst,” she says as she pours the food in.

The cat meows again before ducking its head down to eat. Its ears flick back and forth as the food disappears, sounding supremely satisfied.

Lucy chuckles and briefly scratches the furry head, not wanting to irritate the cat.

The cat purrs as it finishes, licking its whiskers and looking up at Lucy.

“No, that’s it for now.” She scratches the cat behind one of its ears. “I’ll see you again for dinner, okay?”

The cat looks on placidly as Lucy straightens, stretching and disappearing back into the hedge once it’s clear no more food is coming.

“Glad no one from the office can see this,” Lucy mutters as she re-mounts her bike. She has a reputation to uphold, after all.

*

The day slips by quickly with more biking and a conference call after lunch. She’s on sabbatical, but she’d go crazy if she wasn’t at least consulting on a few cases for friends. Lucy has always had a type A personality, though still decidedly different from her eldest sister.

She smiles when she thinks of Lois’s last call, a long one that had mostly consisted of Lois picking her brain for an expert opinion on one of Lois’s stories. They didn’t always gel well, especially considering Lucy had taken up with ‘the most blood sucking firm in California’ (Lois’s words, not hers), but they always worked things out.

Just as she’s considering giving her sister a call, Lucy’s stomach rumbles. She blinks and glances at the time. The conference call had taken longer than she’d anticipated, derailing her schedule, though only slightly.

Cooking doesn’t sound fun, so she takes another quick shower and pulls on jeans and a t-shirt. The sun is still out, and Lucy’s looking forward to the sun drenched path into town. The option to take her sedan is discarded as quickly as she thinks of it. The bike is her favored mode of transportation in the not-so-sleepy-town of Midvale for a reason.

She’s not dressed to really get a workout, but she still pedals slightly harder than she normally would for a casual evening ride.

The black head pokes out again as Lucy approaches, and she hears a plaintive meow in greeting.

“I know, I know. Sorry I’m late,” Lucy says as she hops off her bike and kicks the bike stand down. Her backpack slips off her shoulders easily. “My call ran long. I’ve got your food right he--”

“There you are!” comes a decidedly _unfamiliar_ voice.

Lucy turns in surprise, a foil packet and the bright pink bowl in each hand, respectively. It takes her a moment to realize the new arrival - a tall blonde woman in paint splattered jeans and a snug white shirt - is speaking to the _cat_.

She freezes. The cat isn’t a stray?

The woman straightens, the feline in question now being held in (very well-defined) arms. The woman looks up.

The cat isn’t a stray, and her owner is _gorgeous_.

“I’ve been worried about you, staying away so much longer than normal,” the woman addresses the cat again, frowning.

The cat remains silent, its tail swaying slowly back and forth.

“So, she’s yours, huh?” Lucy asks nervously.

The woman looks up, still frowning. “ _He_ is mine, yes.”

Lucy blinks and forces her attention away from bright blue eyes to wander down to the bulging black body. “ _He_? But she’s pregnant!” She gestures at the cat with both hands, forgetting about the food and bowl.

She blushes and clutches them tighter, glad that her tan has deepened so much in Midvale.

The woman makes a strangled noise in her throat. Before either she or Lucy can respond, another voice chimes in.

“Hey, Kara, you rushed off before you could confirm with Megan about dinner. Did yo--”

Lucy stares at Alex, not used to seeing her sometimes-surfing-buddy in denim and button-up. She has a sudden thought that she _really_ hopes this isn’t Alex’s girlfriend.

“Lucy,” Alex finishes with a blink. “What are you doing…” her eyes drop to Lucy’s hands. “You know, when I said you were my sister’s type, I didn’t think that you’d try kidnapping her cat.”

“I--you,” Lucy stutters as she turns to furiously stuff both the bowl and food into her backpack.

“Alex,” the blonde woman hisses.

_Kara. Right, Kara_. Lucy swallows and rubs her moist palms against the sides of her jeans. She takes a breath before turning back around. “I was _not_ trying to steal her cat. I just saw the little furball while I was biking one day, and the poor thing is pregnant and--”

Kara makes several unintelligible noises in her throat. “ _He_ is not pregnant, and before you say _anything_ Alex, he’s not _fat_ either. He’s just...fluffy! Maybe a little chubby.”

Lucy once again stares at the cat, feeling oddly betrayed. The cat continues to stare serenely.

Alex snorts. “Well, let me take _little_ Tigger home so we can worry about _our_ dinner. Megan’s already waiting, and I kinda want to spend time with my girl some time _today_ , so…” She reaches out and takes careful possession of the cat from Kara, grunting once he’s settled against her chest.

“I--” Kara begins with a raised hand as Alex stalks brusquely away with the cat. “Well.”

“One day we’ll tell your kittens all about how Momma Kara met Momma Lucy,” Alex declares loudly enough for everyone in the neighborhood to hear.

“Alex,” Kara turns to shout with wide eyes, “he is _not_ pregnant!” She stops as the rest of Alex’s statement sinks in. “Oh.”

Lucy is torn between laughing and throwing something heavy at the back of Alex’s head. She squints. Alex is too far away for Lucy to guarantee not bringing harm to Kara’s cat. No dice.

Kara’s hand is over her mouth and there’s a faint blush on her cheeks as she turns back to face Lucy. “You’ve been feeding my cat,” comes the muffled statement.

The foil packet and bright pink bowl are put away, but Lucy’s still embarrassed. She considers the memory of the rather rotund cat and winces. “Sorry.”

“I, no,” Kara says as she plays with the tips of her hair. “I mean, I guess, thank you? You thought he was--anyway.” She clears her throat, and the flush that has almost dissipated is back and heavier than before. “I was about to have dinner with my sister and her girlfriend when I noticed Tigger was gone.”

Lucy’s stomach clenches painfully. Food. She came into town for food.

“I was thinking, since you’ve totally been feeding my cat, maybe I kind of like...owe you?” There’s a thick lock of hair curled around Kara’s index finger, and she won’t look directly at Lucy.

Lucy shifts from foot to foot. “Uh, no, not really. I kind of messed u--”

“Do you want to join us for dinner?” Kara blurts out. “I don’t think Alex would mind, and it’s the least I could do since,” Kara stops talking, chuckling nervously instead and brushing a hand over her face. “I suck at this,” she mutters.

Kara bites at her lower lip, snapping Lucy back to reality. It’s been a long time since Lucy has made time for anything like dating, and it had taken her a moment to realize what Kara had meant. “You actually don’t. I’m just sort of rusty, myself.”

“Oh. Oh!” Kara brightens, her hands dropping to tuck into her pockets. “So you want to join us, then?”

“I’d love to,” Lucy admits. “I just need to bring my bike.”

“That’s cool. I’ll walk with you. It’s not far.” Kara smiles and Lucy almost forgets to blink.

“Great, yeah.” Lucy turns to kick her bike stand up, maneuvering it so she can walk easily beside her companion. She ignores her own nerves, drawing from an unending well of confidence facing bigger opponents in court had given her over the years. “So, we haven’t formally met. I’m Lucy.”

“I’m Kara, Alex’s sister. Well, technically foster sister but we never say that. I teach art over at the middle school, and oh god I’m babbling.” Kara purses her lips, trying to obviously physically stop the outpouring of words.

Lucy laughs lowly, thinking Kara just might be the most _adorable_ person she’s ever met. “Art, huh? That’s pretty cool.”

“Yeah. I love kids and painting, so the job was kind of ideal and...I’m just going to stop talking now.” Kara turns her head away briefly.

Lucy laughs again, at ease and yet somehow incredibly _aware_ of the warmth exuding from the form next to her. “Don’t do that. How else will I get to know you?”

Kara makes a show of rolling her lips together and shaking her head.

“Hm.” Lucy looks thoughtful for a moment. “So why’d you name your cat Tigger? No offense, but why not like Bagheera or Hippo or something?”

She doesn’t have to wait for a response.

“He is _not_ fat. I’ll have you know that as a kitten he was _very_ active, and…”

Lucy grins the entire time Kara speaks, and when their shoulders brush and she feels a spark of _something_ , she has to take a breath and force herself not to look at her Fitbit.

She already knows her heart is pounding like crazy, and they haven’t even had dinner yet.

Lucy is really glad she decided to take this vacation.


	10. The Trials and Tribulations of Being Lucy Lane 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for "They do exist!" Thursdays. This is the third and final part to "The Trials and Tribulations of Being Lucy Lane." The first two parts can be found in this collection. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Lucy Lane is in trouble.

“H-how do I look?” Kara asks with wide eyes.

 _Incredible_ , Lucy wants to say. She doesn’t, instead studying Kara’s dress and pretending like the nearly-backless cut hadn’t almost made her heart beat out of her chest. “You look great. Alex help you pick it out?”

Kara’s cheeks flush. “Yeah. She...she’s always said blue is my color.”

“She’s not wrong,” Lucy mutters.

If it’s possible, Kara’s cheeks darken further. “Thanks. You-you look amazing, too.” Kara adjusts her glasses and lets out a nervous chuckle. “But when do you not look amazing?”

Lucy is _definitely_ in trouble. She ignores the tight feeling in her chest and the fluttering in her stomach, lifting a hand to wave away the compliment.

“Are you nervous?” And, really, Lucy doesn’t have to ask. She’s dat--been friends with Kara long enough to know her. It’s what prompted the question; she knows that Kara won’t talk about it, wouldn’t think to impose her feelings on Lucy.

Kara nibbles at her lower lip, running a hand over her stomach. “A little,” she says in a way that Lucy understands to mean _a lot_.

It’s difficult for Lucy to think with Kara’s full attention on her; really, Alex had done far too good of a job with Kara’s mascara. The dress and makeup are really making Kara’s - perfectly shaped, entrancing - blue eyes _pop_.

Lucy isn’t thinking when she reaches out for Kara’s hand, her skin flushing when her fingertips brush over Kara’s delicate wrist. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”

When Kara turns her hand to interlace their fingers together, Lucy abruptly stops chiding herself for being overly familiar.

“Well, we _have_ been dating for three months now.”

It offends Lucy how adorable Kara is when she smiles, especially when her nose crinkles up - just like its doing now. She tries to ignore the churning in her stomach with the way Kara says ‘dating’. The worst thing, she decides, is how long she’s let this arrangement go on. It had been simple in the beginning. Now, it’s anything _but_ simple.

If only Lucy’s stupid feelings hadn’t decided to get in the way.

She licks her lips and clears her throat. “It’s no wonder they decided to surprise us. Lois always did like to gloat.”

Kara chuckles and shrugs. Lucy does her best not to stare at her mostly bare shoulders or enticing collarbone.

“I...I just hope Ca--Miss Grant doesn’t freak.”

There’s something almost wistful in the way Kara says it, and all at once Lucy has to look away. It had been obvious to Lucy when they’d met that Kara’s breakup had been difficult - with additional time spent together giving Lucy the sneaking suspicion that Kara still had feelings for her boss.

Still, Lucy had hoped that four months later, three of which they’d been “dating”, Kara would be over Cat Grant.

A bitter taste rises in the back of Lucy’s throat. She swallows it down. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She knows she’s spoken too curtly when Kara’s head sharply turns, but then more people brush past them on their way into the party. “Come on, we should head in.” She doesn’t look at Kara.

“Okay,” comes Kara’s quiet voice.

Lucy doesn’t let go of Kara’s hand as they enter, taking in the grand party with a long glance as they walk. She doesn’t stop until they’re on the dance floor.

There’s a moment where her heart pounds erratically and she feels dizzy, but then she gathers a breath and turns to face Kara. She gives Kara a contrite look and holds out a tentative hand.

When Kara steps closer and accepts the invitation to dance, Lucy can breathe again. “Sorry,” she says after a few lines of the song have passed. “It’s not that I hate Cat or anything--”

“No, no. I get it. I know it’s complicated. You’re just being a good friend.”

Lucy’s eyes sting, her lips twisting into a wry smile. “Yeah.”

The dance calms her down as much as it makes her chest ache, but Kara’s smiling at her and giving Lucy her full attention.

“Lucy,” comes Lois’s chipper voice just before the dance ends.

“Lois!” Kara says brightly, already stopping and turning to give the other woman a hug.

Lucy does her best not to pout or roll her eyes. “You couldn’t wait ten more seconds? We were dancing.”

“I tried to tell her, but you know Lois.” Clark grins and adjusts his glasses, and Lucy has to bite back a smile at how similar he and Kara can be.

“Stop sulking and give me a hug!” Lois laughs when Lucy heaves out a beleaguered sigh and steps into her embrace. “I’ve missed you,” Lois whispers as soon as they’re hugging.

Lucy squeezes her eyes shut, once again grateful for their repaired relationship. “Me too.”

“The mayor sure knows how to throw a party,” Clark says, usual smile in place. “Have you guys found a table yet? Lois and I have one if you want to sit with us.”

“That sounds perfect.” Kara smiles at her cousin.

“Guess that’s decided.” Lucy quirks a brow at Kara and is rewarded with a light blush.

Lois slings an arm over her shoulder. “Damn right. Let’s go have a drink, Lil’ Lane.”

“Don’t call me that.” It’s difficult for Lucy to keep her sour expression when Kara tosses her head back with a laugh, but she manages.

“That’s a flattering look on you, no wonder Kara’s stuck with you so long,” Lois continues as Clark leads the way to their table.

“She’s beautiful,” Kara says as she takes a seat, the chair making a screeching noise when she suddenly jerks it.

Lucy can tell by her blush that she hadn’t meant to say it. It makes Lucy feel warm as she takes the seat next to Kara. She’s conscious of the way their bare arms brush, and when she settles her hands on the table and Kara immediately sets her hand next to Lucy’s, it’s all Lucy can do not to float away.

“I knew setting you up was a good idea.”

Even Lois’s smug look can’t ruin Lucy’s mood. So what if she and Kara aren’t really dating? What they have is special.

She bites the inside of her cheek, realizing for the nth time that she’s in serious trouble.

*

The party is fun, with good live music, food, and drinks. The company isn’t so bad either, but Lucy finds her way out to the balcony all the same. The crisp autumn air pricks against her skin, but the brisk air is refreshing. She hadn’t realized how warm it’d been inside.

She looks up, wishing she could see the stars. The city lights are beautiful in their own way, but still.

“How many dates have we been on now?”

Lucy does her best not to stiffen against the balcony railing. Being close to Kara all night, with her in _that_ dress, had left Lucy feeling dizzy and a little overwhelmed. She’d needed a break.

“To be honest? I lost count. I’ve been having too much fun.” She’s glad Kara can’t see her face.

“Me too.”

The words are almost a whisper, but Lucy hears them loud and clear. She straightens up and takes a deep breath. “Yeah? I’m glad.”

Kara’s hand is warm against the chilled skin of Lucy’s arm. She turns in surprise. Kara’s looking right at her, expression unfathomable in the moonlight.

“L-Lucy, I,” and to Lucy’s great surprise, Kara’s face is suddenly closer.

Lucy sucks in a surprised breath just before soft lips are pressed against her own. Everything is forgotten; the lights and her worries mean nothing when Kara is kissing her.

The kiss ends almost languidly, neither in a hurry to pull apart.

All Lucy knows is that her lips are still tingling and Kara’s eyes are impossible to look away from.

So, really, Lucy shouldn’t be surprised at all when a sound draws Kara’s attention elsewhere. She follows Kara’s gaze and is somehow unsurprised to find Cat Grant standing in the doorway to the balcony.

At least the kiss makes sense to her now.

When Cat turns away in a hurry and Kara follows, Lucy wishes she could say she’s surprised.

Instead she laughs and tugs a hand through her hair, ignoring the tears falling down her cheeks. She’s used to never being the first choice - or anyone’s choice, really.

The only thing that does surprise Lucy is how much it still _hurts_.

*

An hour later Lucy’s tucked safely away in her apartment in her comfort clothes - a baggy sweater and snoopy pajama pants. Her mind has already gone over a thousand scenarios, none of which are good.

She hadn’t been able to find Kara at the party, and after nearly ten minutes of looking she’d decided maybe it was better if she never found Kara.

There are certain things she doesn’t need to see. Or hear. Or, whatever.

Her phone chimes, the special sound Alex had set for Kara when they’d all been hanging out. Lucy had never bothered changing it. Before, she’d liked knowing Kara was messaging her.

Now, she can only stare at her phone with dread.

It takes her nearly thirty minutes to gather the courage to pick it up.

She nods when she reads the message, a grim smile on her face. Nothing she hadn’t expected.

 _‘I’m so sorry._ ’

Everyone’s always sorry. She stares at the message until the screen dims, dropping her phone back on the coffee table with a clatter, not caring if it breaks.

Lucy feels disconnected from the world around her as she watches it bounce. It doesn’t break, or even crack. She has to suppress the urge to hurl it against the wall.

The knock on the door is the last thing she wants. She has a sneaking suspicion who it is and why they’re here.

“Kara,” she says stiffly as she opens the door and steps backward. There’s no need to draw this out longer than it needs to be.

Kara’s still wearing the dress, Lucy notes in a detached manner. She doesn’t lead the way further in, instead simply shutting the door behind Kara and waiting with her arms crossed protectively over her chest.

“Go ahead,” she prompts when Kara only twists her hands together.

“I’m so sorry, Lucy,” Kara says earnestly.

Lucy shrugs. “It’s fine. I guess this means we’re breaking up.”

“I,” Kara frowns. Her eyes are shining a little too brightly. “Is that what you want?”

“Kara.” Lucy can’t say anything else, instead bringing a hand up and rubbing at her face. She’s just so _tired_. “I don’t want to look like an idiot. I’ve been cheated on for real before, no need to perpetuate the rumors with this charade.”

“Ru-rumors? Cheating? What are we talking about?”

It stings, Lucy admits to herself, how little Kara thinks of their...fake relationship. “You know what? Never mind. I’m just done posing as your girlfriend, okay?”

Kara nods and swallows, looking down at her hands. “This is because I kissed you, isn’t it?”

A vein begins throbbing in Lucy’s forehead. “I didn’t agree to this to help you make Cat jealous, or to--I don’t even want to know.”

“That’s _not_ why I kissed you!” Kara looks offended, for once her cheeks flushed with indignation rather than embarrassment.

Lucy pinches the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. “Right, fine. Whatever. I have to be up early tomorrow. Are we done?”

“I, you,” Kara’s mouth opens and closes. She looks _furious_.

And then quite without warning, she’s pushing toward Lucy.

Lucy only has a second to react before Kara’s ducking her head down and…

And the kiss is much softer than Lucy’s expecting. Her eyelids flutter closed, intoxicated by the feel of the connection, of the way Kara’s hair tickles against her face, and how Kara’s hands cradle her head.

Her chest is heaving by the time the kiss ends, her already shaky breathing stuttering even more when Kara presses delicate kisses against both of her cheeks.

“I kissed you because I like you, dummy. More than like you. But you’re right about one thing. We do need to stop this fake dating thing.”

Lucy feels lightheaded when she opens her eyes, especially when she finds Kara still so close and looking so _sure_.

“What about Cat?” she mutters in a daze.

Kara blushes and looks away. “I didn’t want her to find out about us that way and...and I was scared how you’d react to the kiss.”

“Oh,” Lucy replies right before she wraps both arms around Kara’s neck and tugs her in for another kiss.

“Lucy Lane,” Kara murmurs when they pause to catch their breath. Their foreheads are brushing and Lucy can almost feel the vibration of Kara’s words against her lips. “Will...will you go out on a real date with me?”

“I...think I can pencil you in, Danvers.”

Kara laughs, and Lucy’s never heard a more beautiful sound.


	11. Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the kiss meme, mccrabbit asked for #13, a kiss we had to wait for.

* * *

Lucy takes a breath as she leads her entourage of agents toward the large building. For a moment she feels out of her element; she’s used to the part of the DEO she oversees, respects the duty she has in ensuring their secret alien prison remains just that.

“Director Lane?” Vasquez intones quietly.  


Lucy shakes herself, not looking anywhere but at the above-ground DEO facility. “Let’s get to it. They need our help.”

Though Lucy hasn’t allowed herself to acknowledge it, she’s not looking forward to seeing Kar–Supergirl.

Still, she smiles when she spots Director J’onzz waiting at the front doors.

“So glad you could join us, Director Lane,” he says with the barest hint of a smile.  


Lucy nods respectfully. “We all serve the same mission. Why don’t you brief us on the situation, Director?”

“Right this way,” J’onn says as he leads the way deeper into the facility.  


*

Hours later when Lucy is shaking J’onn’s hand, she’s sure she’ll manage to leave the facility unscathed. “Let us know if there’s anything else we can do.”

“Don’t forget we can help you as well, Director Lane. Anytime, anything you need. We _are_  all on the same team.” J’onn almost-smiles again.  


Lucy’s shoulders relax. She smiles. “Of course.”

It stands to reason that, when Lucy finally lets her guard down, that’s when she turns and nearly runs straight into Kara.

Kara, who she hasn’t wanted to think about at all since Kara had chosen James. Or James had chosen Kara. Or, well, it doesn’t really matter.

“Supergirl,” she says tightly.  


The tentative smile on Kara’s face disappears. “Lucy?”

Lucy takes a breath and plasters a smile on her face. She’s supposed to be okay with everything, after all. “Supergirl,” she repeats in a slightly friendlier tone, “it’s nice to see you, but we need to be returning to our own DEO facility.”

They make it out the door, but not much further.

“Hey!” Kara calls out from just behind them, “Lucy, please wait?”  


Lucy purses her lips but gestures for the rest of the agents to proceed. 

Vasquez shoots her look before going, shrugging and following the team to the black SUV parked in a small sea of other black SUVs.

“Can I help you, Supergirl?” Lucy asks as politely as possible.  


“I, um,” Kara frowns and fidgets with her cape, her eyes darting to the ground before meeting Lucy’s. “I haven’t talked to you in a while and–well, we’re alone. You can call me Kara.”  


“Kara,” Lucy internally braces herself, “it’s been nice to see you again, but I’ve got to get my agents back to the DEO.”  


“Oh. Oh yeah, of course. I was just, um.” Kara swallows and reaches up for glasses that aren’t there, tucking hair behind her ear instead. “Would it be alright if I stopped by to see you sometime? Soon?”  


“I…” Lucy blinks. The question isn’t one that she’s expected. “Sure.”  


Kara grins. “Great.”

Lucy nods and forces a smile, waving a quick goodbye and turning toward the parking lot. _Why the hell had she said yes_?

*

Kara is considerate enough to text before popping by, and for that Lucy is grateful. 

She holds a hand to her stomach, smoothing a hand over the dark olive fabric as she opens the door to let Kara in. “Hey.”

Kara smiles tentatively and steps in. She looks as pretty as always in a belted pastel dress, her hair pulled back into a neat pony tail. “Thanks for agreeing to see me.”

“Sure.” Lucy tucks her hands into her jeans and rocks back on her heels. “So… something to drink, or?”  


She still isn’t sure why Kara had wanted to meet. Will this take long? Lucy doesn’t want it to take long. She needs Kara… not here. She’s not ready.

“No, no. I’m fine. I–you’re probably wondering why I’m here, why I wanted to see you _now_ , um.”  


Lucy balls her hands up in her pockets and shrugs. Is she really that obvious?

“James and I broke up,” Kara blurts out with wide eyes.  


Lucy blinks slowly. “Okay?”

She isn’t sure how she feels, an odd fluttering in her stomach beginning as Kara blushes and sputters and fails to say something.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lucy manages.  


Kara’s lips press into a thin line, her blue eyes searching Lucy’s face. “Are you?”

Lucy frowns. “I… don’t know.” She studies the way Kara’s chest heaves with a sudden intake of breath, unable to think clearly with Kara looking at her so intently.

“I like you, Lucy,” Kara says in one long exhale.  


Again, Lucy slowly blinks. “What?”

Lucy’s skin prickles, a shock of energy pulsing through her at Kara’s words. Surely, Kara doesn’t mean–but Kara’s eyes have drooped to settle on her lips.

Lucy’s tongue darts out reflexively to moisten her lips, causing Kara to blush.

“I like you too.” Lucy is shocked by her own admission, but only for a moment.  


She looks down, then back up at Kara. “I like you too,” she repeats firmly as she steps forward.

“Oh,” Kara whispers a moment before Lucy’s suddenly in front of her and leaning up on her toes.  


 _Oh, yes_ , Lucy thinks as she slides her hands up into Kara’s hair and parts her lips to deepen the kiss, she _definitely_  likes Kara.


End file.
